Glare shield



' Mar.3,1925. I 1,528,312

E. B. .TAYLOR GLARE SHIELD Fi1ed Oct. 23, 1923v A TTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEFlcE.

ELLIS IB. TAYLOR, OF MCCAMMON, IDAHO.

GLARE SHIELD.

Application lil-ed October 23, 1928. Serial No. 670,255.

j ing automobile in front, in order toavoid blinding the driver and to eliminate liability of collisions or accidents from this cause.

The primary object of the invention is to `provide a glare shield which is simple, reliable and eiiicient in construction and operation. and which may be applied to the windshields of existing types of vehicles and adjusted for use as occasion requires to shield the eyes of the driver from glare, while at the same time leaving the roadway visible to the driver so that he can properly guide and contro-l his vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a glare shield capable of being mounted for use to suit conditions with respect to the vehicle on which it is to be used, and which embodies simple, reliable and efficient means foradjusting the shield plate thereof into and out of working position and for positively holding said shield plate against displacement, in any of its positions of adjustment. i

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a topplan view of aportion of a windshield and the glare shield .applied thereto, showing the shield plate in retracted position and parts of the glare shield in section.

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 2 2 of Figure 1, showing the shield plate.

adjusted to one of its working positions.

Figure 3 is a detail section 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view of the members of one of the clamping devices, separated from each other.V l

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, 1 designates a portion of the glass windshield of an automobile or like vehicle,

-pressed against the friction collar 11.`

on the line and 2 the upper cross rail or bar thereof to which the glare shield is applied.

The glare shield comprises a shield plate 3, of rectangular or oblong rectangular or other suitable form, and made ofl metal, colored glass or other suitable translucent or opaque material. This plate 3 is secured at one of its .longitudinal edges to a rotary.

shaft 4 having at one end an operating handle or knob 5. The shaft 4 forms part of a swinging frame including a pair of parallel lframe arms 6 and 7, between which the plate 3 is adapted to swing on the sha-ft -4 as an axis. said bracket arms 6 and 7 being provided at their rear ends with 'eyesS and 9 respectively. The shaft 4 is journaled at one end in the eye 8 of bracket arm 6 ,and adjacent to its opposite end in the eye 9 of the bracket arm 7. The end of. the shaft which passes through the eye 8 is threaded to receive nuts 10 bearing against opposite sides of said eye and holding the shaft against endwise displacement. The opposite endof the shaft, which passes through the eye 9, is provided. with ,an abutment sleeve 11 bearing against the outer side of the eye 9 and has disposed thereon, between t-he eye 9 and the adjacent edge of the shield plate 3, a. washer 12 secured in position against inward endwise movement by a Cotter pin or key 13 passing through the shaft, a similar pin or key 14 being passed through the shaft and collar 11 to hold said collar inposition. A coiled spring 16 surrounds the shaft between thev eye 9 and washer 12 .and is held in compressed condition between the same, said spring exerting its expansive energy to hold the eye 9- A spring actuated friction lock is thus rovided for normally clamping the sha t 4v against rotation to and between the bracket arms 6 and 7, while permitting said shaft 4 to be ,turned or rotated by means of the knob 5 to swing the shield plate 3 to various ositions and to hold the same and the aft positively in any of the positions to which they may be adjusted.

The bracket arms 7 are coupled at their forward ends to rods 17 carrying clamping devices 18 to engage the rail 2 and thereby fasten the glare shield in working position thereon. As shown, the forward ends of the arms 6 and 7 are provided'witli eyes 19 arrangedv in lapping relation to similar eyes 20 on the rear ends of the rods 17, bolts 21 to be firmly and rigidly coupled t the rods v17. This connection between the frame arms 6 and 7 and lthe rods 17 also provides a `f pivo'tal coupling between the 'clamp .carrying rods and the swinging frame of which the bracket arms 6` and form a part, whereby said swinging frame, through' pivotal movements of the arms 6 and 7, may be adjusted to dispose the glare shield 3 at a proper working point on the vehicle as occasion may require, after which the swinging frame may be permanently iXed in set posivtion for use by tightening the bolts 21. This construction adapts the clamping devices 18 tolbe `applied to the top rail of the windshield of any particular vehicley and the supporting :trame of the glare shield to b'e prelininarily adjusted and mounted on the vehicle to suit any conditions peculiar to the particular vehicle on which .the device is used.

Each clamping device 18 comprises a pair of clamping members 24 and 25 suitably formed to partially embrace and engage opposite sides of the rail 2.4 The clamping member 24 is' formed witha body portion 26 having an opening 27 `for passage of a clamping bolt 28, and the clamping member 25 is provided with a body portion 29 having a threaded opening 30 to receive the threaded shank of the bolt, through the medium of -fthe bolt 28, the clamping members may be vadjusted and rmly held in gripping engagement with the rail 2. The body of the clamping member 2 4 is formed at one side with a partially circular clip 31 to receivethe threaded surface of the rod 17 which is provided .with retaining nuts 32 to.'secure itv against displacement and to hold the clamping device fastened as a unit thereto.' -At its side opposite the clip 31- the member 24 is formed witha flange 33,4 and the body portion of the clamping member. 25 is formed at one side with a notch or recess 341 to accommodate and engage said flange, while at its opposite side the body portion 29 is .provided with a llug 35 to bear against the portion of the rod 17 held in the clip 31, by means of which the body 29 of clamping member 25 is positively engaged at its opbers will be posite sides with the' clamping member v24 and the rod 17 so that the clamping mempositively held against any tendency to ti ting motion onthe' 'bolt 28 and the .rod 17 is thereby held irrnlyeiixed in osition.

. practice the glare shield is as.

- above-describedi to theupper .bar or ra1l'2 of the windshie d 1 at one side 'of thevehicle in line' with the driversy seat, the bracket sr/arms .6 and, 7 being horizontally' arranged at such a level as to be in an out-ofthe-wa whereby, i

sition. The arrangement Vis also suc that the shield plate 3 will be supported so that it may be swung up to a horizontal .position between the bracket arms in an out-of-the-way position'until it is required for use. Asn shown in Figure 2, the shield .Y i'

.plate 3 maybe swung downwardly to'a degree in advance of the line of vision of greater or lessf extent, and to diierent angles, so as to come to a greateror less the driver and between the eyes offthe driver and the windshield, so that it -willbe interposed between thev eyes of the driver and the blinding glare ofthe headlights of an approaching automobile in front. The

shield plate is comparatively small,however,y i

and when so adjusted,- whilecuttinglout the4 blinding rays of light, does not roadway between theltwo' automobiles or at the side of the approaching automobile, thus ide the leaving'most of the roadway visible to theA i driver under land at the sides of the shield A plate 3 allowing him to properly guide and control his vehicle while shielded from the direct glare of light from the approach-v ingyehicle. The lshield platel 3 may be adjusted to different working positions within" a -range qof between the horizontal and vertical, so that the driver may regulate its shielding action according to the extent l of the glare from the approaching Lvehicle or its distance from his vehicle, as circum-- stances or conditions may" require, allowing him to properly position the shield plate to cutout all blinding li ht -wh1le leaving the roadway exposed tot e fullest possible degree according to circumstances.

As the' friction` clamp of which Spring 16' forms a art will hold the shield'l plate 3 in any o \tl1e positions to which it will be v `adjusted against jolts or vibrations of the vehicle, it will'he apparent that after making the `proper adjustments the o rator may feel secure Ain. leavingtlie shiel platey in position and concentrating hisattention strictly to the guidance and rcontrol of the lll.

vehicle. Throughthe adjustment affordedA by the pivotal connection ofthe swinging frame with the supporting" rods 17 the `de' viee may be initia mounted'to suitany conditions inherent to theiparticular vehicle to which it is applied, and thereafter 1t 1s lll simpl ynecessary for the vdriver to adjust the s 'eld plate 3 into any of its required working positions by simple mani ulation of theknob 5 inorder to ward o the glare from an approachinglvehicle to any extent desired. As the shield plate 3 may-r be swung upward to 'a horizontal pos1t1on,betwoe n l-` the bracket arms 6 and 7 it will be apparent '.that'when the shielelate is not in operain a` position where tion it will be dispo it will not cause inconvenience., annpyan'ca' @interference with the 9i -the windshield or movements of the driver in getting into-or out of the vehicle. The pivotal connection between the frame arms and the rods 15 also adapts the swinging frame and shield plate to be folded in close compass vfor vpacking in storage or vtransportation, as will vbe readily understood.

From .the foregoing description, taken-in 'to an inoperative position, in which position ity will occupy a non-interfering position. The merits and advantages of the device in other respects will be apparent from the foregoing description, to those versed in the art.

Where the conditions are such that the glare shield can not be mounted upon the frame of a windshield, as herein disclosed, the clamps may be omitted and'holes bored in the windshield glass or through the top of the cab part of a car and the bolts 17 and nuts 32 employed for4 fastening the vdevice in position.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim 1-. In a glare shield for automobiles, a pair of clamps to engage the windshield frame,A each clamp comprising two members having clamping surfaces to engage a windshield frame bar and provided with body portions having bolt receiving openings, the body portions of said members being provided each with a side flange, said flanges closing opposite sides of the clamp and the body portion vof one member having a part overhanging and closing the space between said side flanges and provided with a partially circular clip disposed in parallel relation to and having its open' side'closed by the side flange of the other member, a y

bolt engaging the bolt receiving openings of each clamp and uniting the members thereof, supporting rods engaging the clips of the bracket members, arms pivoted to said rods, a shaft journalledl in the arms,

and a glare shield carried by said shaft.

2. In a glare shield, a pair of fixed supporting rods, a pairof arms hinged" at y theirlforward ends to said rods-and provided at their rear ends with eyes, a shaft jou-rnaled at one end in the eye of one of said rods and having its opposite end journaled in the eye of the other rod and eX- tending beyond said rod, means on the extended end of the shaft for rotatin the same, a shield plate xed to the sha between the arms, inner and outer abutment inembers on the shaft andbearing against the opposite sides of the eye of the arm in which said extended end of the shaft is journaled, a sleeve fixed to the shaft and engaging the outer abutment member, a third abutment member fixed to the shaft between the shield and inner abutment member, and a coiled spring encircling the shaft between said third abutment member and the 'said inner abutment member and forcing the latter in frictional binding contact with the eye of the arm against which it bears.

In testimony whereof -I affix my signature. v

` ELLISl TAYLOR. 

